Mascots, Minor League fun part of Futures Game

ARLINGTON -- In case you haven’t noticed, Globe Life Field is BIG. It measures 1.8 million square feet. The distance from the playing field to the highest point of the 5.5-acre retractable roof is 278 feet. Each exterior side measures 785 by 815 feet. There isn’t just a “third deck,” the term often used to depict a how big a ballpark is; there are actually seven seating levels.

All of which is to say that Globe Life Field was built for the big leagues. So for the prospects assembled here at the 2024 All-Star Futures Game and the first-ever Future Skills Showcase on Saturday, this exhibition was a tantalizing taste of what life in the Majors will be like.

Remember, though: These are still Minor Leaguers, for now. And even amid all the bigness of the venue, MLB found ways -- for the first time at the Futures Game -- to bring the quirky charm of the MiLB experience to this event.

In Futures past, participants wore the caps and batting helmets of their Major League organizations – again, a glimpse into what their professional paths could hold.

But for this year’s Futures Game, the colors and logos atop players’ heads were those of their current MiLB clubs – a subtle nod to the present on a day when so much focus is on the future and a great way for icons such as Monty, the lovable biscuit logo of the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (as worn by Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson) to get their day in the spotlight.

“That was cool,” said Single-A Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins) pitcher Noble Meyer, who earned the win for the National League in a 6-1 victory. “Go Carp!”

The game featured 24 first-round picks (10 just from last year’s Draft) and 38 of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects. Dylan Crews (No. 4, Nationals outfielder) was here. Ethan Salas (No. 6, Padres catcher) was here. Marcelo Mayer (No. 7, Red Sox shortstop was here). Max Clark (No. 10, Tigers outfielder) was here.

📩 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BEN'S BIZ

But you know who else was here? Otey the Swamp Possum of the Double-A Arkansas Travelers (a Mariners affiliate), that’s who.

Yeah, that’s right. Established starpower to go with the up-and-coming kids.

The presence of Otey and his fellow furry friends -- Deuce (a prairie dog) of the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders, Bull Moose (a one-of-its-kind moose/deer/sheep hybrid), Spike (a train-conducting doggo), Hornsby (a blue bull) of the Double-A Tulsa Drillers and Orion (some kind of alien dog) of the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys -- brought some mascot madness to the proceedings.

Speaking of furry friends, there were dogs here, too. Hot dogs, yes. But also … actual dogs. There was Dizzy, the English cream golden retriever who serves as ballpark dog for the Travelers, and Brooks, a half-lab, half-golden retriever who serves the same role for the RoughRiders.

Dizzy, whose everyday duties are officially listed by his club as “chasing baseballs, getting belly rubs on the concourse, serving as the official greeter of Dickey-Stephens Park and being a good boy,” performed the ceremonial “first fetch” before the Futures Game began, and he and Brooks were both spotlighted on the 58’ x 150’ video board in the middle of the third inning.

Asked his favorite feature of Globe Life Field, Brooks said, “Roof! Roof!”

And what nod to the Minors would be complete without some between-innings amusement? Promotions from the nearby MiLB clubs were brought to the big stage, including Frisco’s “Aww Snap” activation in which two contestants strapped together with a bungee had to reach in opposite directions to collect three baseballs apiece, Round Rock’s “Where’s Spike?” game in which a child used a television camera to scan the crowd attempting to find mascot Spike in the seating bowl (he found him!) and Tulsa’s “Running with the Bull” race in which 50 children sprinted around the arc from the first base side to the third base side while being led by mascot Hornsby.

“I think it was good for Minor League Baseball to just showcase all the other teams everyone plays on, not just the big league clubs,” said Bryce Eldridge, the Giants' No. 2 prospect and NL first baseman . “We're all still fighting to get up there.”

It was all a reminder that the future is enticing. But the present can be pretty fun, too.